Introduction
Buying garbanzo beans and red lentils is pretty easy. Most stores in the US sell them. Chapati flour is bit more tough to find.I don’t believe any farmers in the US grow the right kind of wheat, nor mill it fine enough to make good Chapatis. White flour is too glutinous, and whole wheat is too tough, coarse and overwhelming full of bran flavor.
Some Indian or “Asian” stores sell imported Chakki Atta. You can find many brands stocked on Amazon. Just search for Chakki Atta.
I generally to buy Organic, locally produced products whenever possible. I try to order directly from small business, and avoid buying on Amazon if I can. This is rather difficult, as almost everything seems to be going to Amazon these days.
Below I discuss how I’ve sourced these Indian food staples. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are better options available. Feel make a suggestion.
Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) can be bought almost anywhere. Canned chickpeas work fine for most recipes, although some (for example Falafel), require dried chickpeas soaked overnight.
I usually buy a large bag (25Lbs) or chickpeas, since I eat so many. Gold Mine Natural Foods sells a nice 25 LBs Bag of Organic Garbanzos.
Lentils
I usually use red lentils in my recipes.
In the past I’ve bought a lot of bulk red lentils from Whole Foods.
Mulberry Lane Farms sells a 5 Lb Bag of Organic Red Lentils on Amazon. They are quite good, but quite pricey.
I’ve just discovered that Bob’s Red Mill sells bulk, not just overpriced tiny bags at “health foods” stores. I’ve just ordered a 25Lb Bag of Red Lentils.
Chapati Flour (Chakki Atta)
My favorite was from Bytewise Organic, but they are no longer available on Amazon, and when I tried ordering on their website, they never processed my order.
I’ve ordered this 10 Lb Bag of Chakki Atta. It’s pretty good, but lacking in flavor and has some slight flavors that I don’t like compared to the Bytewise.
I’m going to try a 24Mantra 10 Lb Bag of Chakki Atta, and see if it’s better. I will eventually update this page and report on my findings.
